The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-02-09
THE TOBACCO TAX.
Some Correspondence Con-
corning It's Repeal.
A TARIFF REVISION WANTED.
1.-The House Ought to he Competent
to Deal With the Question of
Reduction of TaXatiJn."
ALet,er to Carli,Ie.

| w L
Carlisle to-day received letter signed
John s. Henderson, George D. Wise
and Sam Randall, of which the follow
ing excerpts convey the significance:
Dear Strive regret exceedingly that
you could not see your way clear to
give recognition yesterday to some
| Democrat to enable him Ito move a
suspension of rules for the purpose of
giving the. House an opportunity to
consider the question OF a total repea!
of the internal revenue tax on tobacco.
Your refusal to give this recognition,
| together with your letter OF the It'll
instant, deserves more than passing
notice.
IF TWo-THIRDs OF THE HOUSE
are in favor of such repeal, it was
grave responsibility for you to oppose
such a large majority of the repre-
sentatives of the people. Assuming.
! however. for the sake of argument,
that the frie&ds of the proposition con-
stitute a less number than two thirds,
their strength is certainly such that
! they ought to have been permitted to
| test the sense of the House upon the
question, especially since the country
IS watching with intense interest the
action of the House in respect
| thereto, a large number OF the mem
bsks of the House have been urging
them to obtain, if possible, considera-
ton of this subject. We do not wish
to be misunderstood. We earnestly de-
sire, from party standpoint, that rec
ognition should have been given to
Democrat to make the motion, but we
would vote cheerfullv for the PROPOSE
ton, whether made by Democrat or
Republican. We believe that the friends
of the repeal of the tobacco tax were so
strong in the House that they would
have saved to
THE OPPRESSED TAXPAYERS
of this country an annual reduction of
taxation to the extent of $28 100000, if
the motion for the repeal could have
been made in the House on Monday of
this week, the latest day when such
motion, to be effective under the
rules, would be in order during the
Forty-ninth Congress. The motion If
made during the last SIX DAYS of the
session would almost certainly be too
of the question in the Senate. We
think that the revision of the tariff
and of the Internal Revenue laws, can
be attained from time to time by re-
forming the obvious and greater
grievances of the two systems, andthat
we should not refuse to make such re-
forms because sweeping changes have |
not been practicable. If the House
WAS CONSIDERED COMPETENT
to deal with the silver question, with
the pension question and with the cleo
margarine question, free from dictation
of the Democratic caucus, we think it
ought to be competent to deal with the
question OF reduction of the taxation. !
The caucus ought not now to beJnvoked |
to Justify the policy of delay and nom
action on this subject. We sincerely
hope with you, that some plan may
vet be devised which will enable the
House to consider the whole subject of
revenue reduction and revision, in a
spirit of fairness to all interests and in
accordance with the letter and spirit of
the platform of the national Demo-
cratic party, adopted at the convention
held at Chicago in the year 1884" and |
we assure you that we are ready'to meet
any of our Democratic associates who |
are prepared to treat with US on such a /
basis.
4 AND STILL ANOTHER.
WASHINGTON, February S.-A letter
signed by Representatives Randall,
Warner, Henry, MeAdoo, Henderson,
GRAY (Virginia), and Gay was sent to
Speaker Carlisle to-day, in response to |
his communication returning the sub |
stitute bill presented for the consider /
alton of himself and those holding SINH |
larsviews respecting tariff revision. The |
letter regrets that so wide difference |
of views exists as is apparent from |
Carlisle's communication and expresses
the opinion that compromise measure |
reducing the Treasury surplus vi bout |
injuring capital and labor shall be /
passed P9thiS Congress
THE POINT Is MADE
that to admit to the free list certain |
articles which Carlisle asks for, would |
be destructive of many important sgri-
cultural and mechanical industries.
The difference of the views is set forth |
in detail, ard defines the object of the /
writers, which is 10 reduce the rev
enue, and relieve the people OF vexa-
tious and ineuisitorisl methods Of tax
alton, without offering temptations
to fraud or evasion OF the law.
The writers hold it is next t.
impossible to so adjust the tariff /
rates as to secure a definite reduction OF !
the revenue such as the repeal OF an /
internal revenue tax will produce. The |
letter suggests the appointment VI a /
committee composed OF members Yep
resentiDg the different phases OF the T
question involved in the Two measures
under discussion, to take up those dill
ferences in a spirit of fairness, and with
the view of coming together on meas
ure all can support